K. Seshadri Iyer, forgotten Dewan (key minister) of Mysore princely state with great contributions to making of modern Bangalore
Here's an article that caught my interest as I too am an Iyer, Why You Need to Learn About K. Seshadri Iyer, the Forgotten Creator of Modern Bengaluru, http://www.thebetterindia.com/88222/dewan-of-mysore-seshadri-iyer-maker-of-modern-bangalore/, dated 21-Feb-2017.
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dewan, "The originally Persian title of dewan (also known as diwan or devan) has, at various points in Islamic history, designated a powerful government official, minister or ruler." ... "During the effective rule of the Mughal empire, the Dewan served as the chief revenue officer of a province. Later, when most vassal states gained various degrees of self-determination, the finance — and/or chief minister and leader of many princely states (especially Muslim, but also many Hindu, including Baroda, Hyderabad, Mysore, Kochi, Travancore — referred as Dalawa until 1811) became known as a dewan."
In the context of Mysore princely state of which Seshadri Iyer was Dewan, I think Dewan has to be viewed as most powerful minister serving under the king/ruler of the princely state.
The above betterindia.com article states that Seshadri Iyer as Dewan of Mysore met Shri Jamsetji Tata, industrialist and a leader of India, in 1898, who wanted to set up an institution for science research for the progress of the country. Tata was looking for a place for such an institution. According to the article, Iyer then convinced his boss, "the then-ruler of Mysore, Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV, to donate roughly 372 acres of free land in the heart of Bangalore and provide other necessary facilities. This educational institution later became the Tata Institute of Science, renamed the Indian Institute of Science (IISC) in 1911."
The article quotes Robert H. Elliot from his book, ‘Gold, Sport and Coffee Planting in Mysore,’ [published in 1894 as per Google Books, https://books.google.co.in/books?id=BIlFLoFXCfwC], as follows:
"I may pause here to remark that what I saw and heard at the Assembly, combined with what I previously knew of the Mysore Government, satisfied me that a more perfect form of government does not exist in the world…..While I have heard much in favour of the Dewan, I have never heard a single deprecatory remark made concerning his administration of the province, either by natives or Europeans. Mysore is indeed extremely fortunate in having such a man as Mr. Seshadri Iyer, since made Sir K. Seshadri Iyer, at the head of affairs."
The book is available on Amazon India, republished in 2014, with paperback import costing Rs. 726/-, here: http://www.amazon.in/Gold-Sport-Coffee-Planting-Mysore/dp/1502428962.
https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/1911_Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica/Aiyar,_Sir_Sheshadri provides the following info.:
1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Aiyar, Sir Sheshadri
AIYAR, SIR SHESHADRI (1845-1901), native statesman of Mysore, India, was the son of a Brahman of Palghat in the district of Malabar. He was educated at the provincial school at Calicut and the presidency college in Madras, and entered the government service as a translator. In 1868 he was transferred to Mysore under Runga Charlu; and for thirteen years nlled [Ravi:held?] various offices in that state; but when Mysore was restored to native rule in 1881, he became personal assistant to Runga Charlu, whom he succeeded as diwan in 1885. For the next seventeen years he laboured assiduously to promote the economic and industrial development of the state, and proved an able assistant to the Maharaja Chamarajendra. By means of railway, irrigation and mining works, he added greatly to the wealth of the state, and put it on a sound financial footing. He retired in 1900, was made K.C.S.I. in 1893 and died on the 13th of September 1901.
--- end extract from wikisource.org ---
Ravi: I was not aware of Seshadri Iyer prior to reading this article. Browsing for his name, led me to his wiki page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K._Seshadri_Iyer. Given below are some extracts from it:
Sir Kumarapuram Seshadri Iyer, KCSI (1 June 1845 - 13 September 1901), or Sheshadri Aiyar was an advocate who served as the Dewan of Mysore from 1883 to 1901. He was the second Dewan of Mysore state since the reinstatement of the Wodeyar family on its throne in 1881 and was the longest serving Dewan of the princely state as well. He is regarded by most as the "Maker of Modern Bangalore".
Seshadri Iyer was born in a family from Palghat in the Malabar district of Madras Presidency. He had his early education in Calicut and graduated in arts from Presidency College, Madras in 1868. He was also a qualified lawyer.
Seshadri Iyer joined the services of the Mysore kingdom in 1868 and served as a district magistrate and later as Personal Secretary to the Diwan, Rungacharlu before being appointed Diwan himself. Seshadri Iyer was the longest serving Diwan of Mysore kingdom and served from 1883 to 1901.
Seshadri Iyer established the Kolar gold fields and Victoria Hospital and commissioned the Sivanasamudra hydel-electric power project. Seshadri Iyer had to deal with a devastating plague which afflicted Bangalore in 1898 and was responsible for the decongestion of streets and reconstructing the city in the aftermath of the plague.
...
Seshadri Iyer succeeded Rangacharlu as Dewan of Mysore in the year 1883 and administered Mysore for a span of eighteen years. He remains the longest serving Diwan of the princely state. He worked to improve the transport, irrigation and mining sectors in the kingdom. Seshadri Iyer extended the railway lines in the kingdom by 270 kilometres (170 mi)The Kolar gold fields of Karnataka were established during his tenure. He constructed the famous Glass House at Lalbagh in 1889 and the Victoria Hospital at Bangalore in the year 1900.
...
Seshadri Iyer was responsible for initiating the first hydro-electric project in Asia, at Shivanasamudra, which began generating power in 1902 for the Kolar gold fields, and in 1905 for Bangalore. The gold fields were 147 km away, making the transmission line the longest in the world at the time. Later on, when construction of the Mettur dam in Tamil Nadu began in the 1930s, power was supplied from Shivanasamudra. The Sir Sheshadri Hydel Station was granted the status of a National Heritage Centre in May 2006.
...
In 1898, a devastating plague in Bangalore city wiped out most of its population. As a result of this, streets were decongested, roads were widened and sanitation was improved. Hotels made their appearance and many new industrial units came to be established and people got more employment opportunities.
Seshadri Iyer started the Chamarajendra Water Works to supply water to the city from Hesaraghatta Lake, 18 km away, in 1894. He began the extensions of Basavanagudi and Malleswaram in 1898. The extensions served to alleviate the congestion of the city, which was just recovering from plague. He commissioned the glass house in Lal Bagh in 1889. The Victoria Hospital was begun by him in 1900. The private residence of Seshadri Iyer, Kumara Krupa, is now the State Guest House. The city remembers him through the names of Seshadripuram (a city extension created in 1892), Sheshadri Road, Sheshadri Memorial Library, and a statue in Cubbon Park.
--- end wiki page extracts ---
Here's a relevant article from The Hindu Metro Plus Bangalore, Diwans take over, http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/mp/2002/08/15/stories/2002081500220200.htm, dated Aug. 15th 2002.
[I thank wikipedia, betterindia.com, wikisource, Robert H. Elliot and have presumed that they will not have any objections to me sharing the above extracts from their websites/books (short extracts from betterindia.com and Robert H. Elliot's book) on this post which is freely viewable by all, and does not have any financial profit motive whatsoever.]
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dewan, "The originally Persian title of dewan (also known as diwan or devan) has, at various points in Islamic history, designated a powerful government official, minister or ruler." ... "During the effective rule of the Mughal empire, the Dewan served as the chief revenue officer of a province. Later, when most vassal states gained various degrees of self-determination, the finance — and/or chief minister and leader of many princely states (especially Muslim, but also many Hindu, including Baroda, Hyderabad, Mysore, Kochi, Travancore — referred as Dalawa until 1811) became known as a dewan."
In the context of Mysore princely state of which Seshadri Iyer was Dewan, I think Dewan has to be viewed as most powerful minister serving under the king/ruler of the princely state.
The above betterindia.com article states that Seshadri Iyer as Dewan of Mysore met Shri Jamsetji Tata, industrialist and a leader of India, in 1898, who wanted to set up an institution for science research for the progress of the country. Tata was looking for a place for such an institution. According to the article, Iyer then convinced his boss, "the then-ruler of Mysore, Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV, to donate roughly 372 acres of free land in the heart of Bangalore and provide other necessary facilities. This educational institution later became the Tata Institute of Science, renamed the Indian Institute of Science (IISC) in 1911."
The article quotes Robert H. Elliot from his book, ‘Gold, Sport and Coffee Planting in Mysore,’ [published in 1894 as per Google Books, https://books.google.co.in/books?id=BIlFLoFXCfwC], as follows:
"I may pause here to remark that what I saw and heard at the Assembly, combined with what I previously knew of the Mysore Government, satisfied me that a more perfect form of government does not exist in the world…..While I have heard much in favour of the Dewan, I have never heard a single deprecatory remark made concerning his administration of the province, either by natives or Europeans. Mysore is indeed extremely fortunate in having such a man as Mr. Seshadri Iyer, since made Sir K. Seshadri Iyer, at the head of affairs."
The book is available on Amazon India, republished in 2014, with paperback import costing Rs. 726/-, here: http://www.amazon.in/Gold-Sport-Coffee-Planting-Mysore/dp/1502428962.
https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/1911_Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica/Aiyar,_Sir_Sheshadri provides the following info.:
1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Aiyar, Sir Sheshadri
AIYAR, SIR SHESHADRI (1845-1901), native statesman of Mysore, India, was the son of a Brahman of Palghat in the district of Malabar. He was educated at the provincial school at Calicut and the presidency college in Madras, and entered the government service as a translator. In 1868 he was transferred to Mysore under Runga Charlu; and for thirteen years nlled [Ravi:held?] various offices in that state; but when Mysore was restored to native rule in 1881, he became personal assistant to Runga Charlu, whom he succeeded as diwan in 1885. For the next seventeen years he laboured assiduously to promote the economic and industrial development of the state, and proved an able assistant to the Maharaja Chamarajendra. By means of railway, irrigation and mining works, he added greatly to the wealth of the state, and put it on a sound financial footing. He retired in 1900, was made K.C.S.I. in 1893 and died on the 13th of September 1901.
--- end extract from wikisource.org ---
Ravi: I was not aware of Seshadri Iyer prior to reading this article. Browsing for his name, led me to his wiki page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K._Seshadri_Iyer. Given below are some extracts from it:
Sir Kumarapuram Seshadri Iyer, KCSI (1 June 1845 - 13 September 1901), or Sheshadri Aiyar was an advocate who served as the Dewan of Mysore from 1883 to 1901. He was the second Dewan of Mysore state since the reinstatement of the Wodeyar family on its throne in 1881 and was the longest serving Dewan of the princely state as well. He is regarded by most as the "Maker of Modern Bangalore".
Seshadri Iyer was born in a family from Palghat in the Malabar district of Madras Presidency. He had his early education in Calicut and graduated in arts from Presidency College, Madras in 1868. He was also a qualified lawyer.
Seshadri Iyer joined the services of the Mysore kingdom in 1868 and served as a district magistrate and later as Personal Secretary to the Diwan, Rungacharlu before being appointed Diwan himself. Seshadri Iyer was the longest serving Diwan of Mysore kingdom and served from 1883 to 1901.
Seshadri Iyer established the Kolar gold fields and Victoria Hospital and commissioned the Sivanasamudra hydel-electric power project. Seshadri Iyer had to deal with a devastating plague which afflicted Bangalore in 1898 and was responsible for the decongestion of streets and reconstructing the city in the aftermath of the plague.
...
Seshadri Iyer succeeded Rangacharlu as Dewan of Mysore in the year 1883 and administered Mysore for a span of eighteen years. He remains the longest serving Diwan of the princely state. He worked to improve the transport, irrigation and mining sectors in the kingdom. Seshadri Iyer extended the railway lines in the kingdom by 270 kilometres (170 mi)The Kolar gold fields of Karnataka were established during his tenure. He constructed the famous Glass House at Lalbagh in 1889 and the Victoria Hospital at Bangalore in the year 1900.
...
Seshadri Iyer was responsible for initiating the first hydro-electric project in Asia, at Shivanasamudra, which began generating power in 1902 for the Kolar gold fields, and in 1905 for Bangalore. The gold fields were 147 km away, making the transmission line the longest in the world at the time. Later on, when construction of the Mettur dam in Tamil Nadu began in the 1930s, power was supplied from Shivanasamudra. The Sir Sheshadri Hydel Station was granted the status of a National Heritage Centre in May 2006.
...
In 1898, a devastating plague in Bangalore city wiped out most of its population. As a result of this, streets were decongested, roads were widened and sanitation was improved. Hotels made their appearance and many new industrial units came to be established and people got more employment opportunities.
Seshadri Iyer started the Chamarajendra Water Works to supply water to the city from Hesaraghatta Lake, 18 km away, in 1894. He began the extensions of Basavanagudi and Malleswaram in 1898. The extensions served to alleviate the congestion of the city, which was just recovering from plague. He commissioned the glass house in Lal Bagh in 1889. The Victoria Hospital was begun by him in 1900. The private residence of Seshadri Iyer, Kumara Krupa, is now the State Guest House. The city remembers him through the names of Seshadripuram (a city extension created in 1892), Sheshadri Road, Sheshadri Memorial Library, and a statue in Cubbon Park.
--- end wiki page extracts ---
Here's a relevant article from The Hindu Metro Plus Bangalore, Diwans take over, http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/mp/2002/08/15/stories/2002081500220200.htm, dated Aug. 15th 2002.
[I thank wikipedia, betterindia.com, wikisource, Robert H. Elliot and have presumed that they will not have any objections to me sharing the above extracts from their websites/books (short extracts from betterindia.com and Robert H. Elliot's book) on this post which is freely viewable by all, and does not have any financial profit motive whatsoever.]
Comments
Post a Comment